This invention relates generally to an improved way to recycle electrolytic fluid from and to an electroplating barrel that is plating work pieces supported within the barrel. The invention employs an elongated spray tube with perforations that is connected to a pumping system continually regenerating electrolyte from the barrel and plating tank so that it can be sprayed through the perforations of the tube. This occurs while the barrel is being rotated, whereby a continual supply of electrolyte can be sprayed downward on the working parts. By having the spray tube placed above the axis of rotation of the barrel the parts can be better sprayed and covered with electrolyte, while they are being agitated by rotation of the barrel.
At the present, the systems known to us are those which are disclosed as follows:
In an electroplating engineering handbook (4th Edition) Chapter 4 on Barrels, by William H. Jackson and E. Kenneth Graham, page 458 discloses in FIG. 10 a cross-sectional view of a perforated horizontal plating barrel with electroplating solution through the cylinder into the barrel. While the solution from the tank is merely pumped from the pump back into the tank through the circulating barrel, in a circulating manner, there is no spray tube that is fixedly mounted eccentrically above the axis of rotation of the barrel to have work pieces agitated and constantly sprayed with recirculated electrolyte to obtain an efficient and speedy electroplating of parts.
As disclosed in the Patent to Yates, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,039, issued Aug. 18, 1992, there is a suitable and efficient water rinsing means and process that utilizes a perforated spray tube that extends along across the axis of rotation; but this is only used for rinsing and does not teach or suggest the use of or how to provide a stationary spray tube mounted above the axis of rotation for the use of such system for electroplating. With an elongated perforated tube mounted eccentrically, as in our present invention, the plating is accomplished more efficiently due to better and more thorough spraying of parts since the spray has an overall larger spray from being mounted higher in the barrel to achieve speedier electroplating.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,916,465, issued to J. L. Dawson, also shows a barrel that has an axially mounted tube provided with perforations that is connected with an inlet pipe. While the inlet pipe is adapted to admit electrolyte and disperse it into the interior of the drum so as to replace the more or less spent electrolyte in the drum, there is no teaching of a perforated spray tube above the axis for spraying parts and the means to accomplish this.